


Lost

by caskettshipper3



Category: Castle
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-21 15:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2473235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caskettshipper3/pseuds/caskettshipper3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard Castle has no one. No one except his month old child and he has no idea what he's doing. His career is suffering. His thoughts are bordering on insanity and he needs something, someone to come help. One fateful night in the infant aisle of a convenience store, his life changes</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Infant Aisle

**Author's Note:**

> My first work!   
> Ok so this is an AU fic, but there are some plots still in place from the Castleverse.  
> Also semi-minor character death.

This little baby.

He has this little baby in his hands, this little tiny person that's relying on him and he hasn't the slightest clue what to do. There's no one to reach out to. No one to hand her off to and he's scared out of his mind. Has no clue how any of this works or how he's supposed to handle this on his own.

He's in one of the billions of infant isles in this city and he's found nothing. Nothing to make her quiet. He hasn't been to the doctor, but he's thinking she's becoming colicky. He can't help it. He wishes that he could save his little blue eyed angel from whatever is troubling her, but everything he tries is failing him.

The diapers are too big, the food isn't good enough, the toys are too loud, but for Christ's sake, he's never done this before and he can't tell Luvs from Huggies right about now. So he's standing here. She's still crying as he rocks her and people pass buy giving him looks, some sympathetic and some annoyed, yet no one cares enough to ask.

The shelves are beginning to run together because he's seen all of this before and none of it helps. None of it silence his little bundle of joy and he wishes he knew what could, but he doesn't because, again, he has no clue what he's doing.

He reaches for a container that almost stopped her cries last time. Maybe it'll work now that she's two weeks older. He grabs it, but his tired eyes make him miss it and knock down a couple items. They clatter loudly to the floor and his red head ray of light is startled into silence before she wails out again.

"Shit." He mutters and goes to pick up the stuff. He almost drops his child in the process, causing her volume to increase and it hits him like a brick. He'll never be able to do this. He forgets the things that have fallen and scoots back, leaning against the shelf and cradling his baby. Anyone who sees him now probably thinks he's a basket case, but he could care less right now. He just wants to help his little girl and he doesn't know how. That makes him hate himself all the more.

"Excuse me."

He peers up at the voice and it's as if God has decided to spare him and send him an angel. Okay, maybe not, but the fluorescent lights give her a heavenly glow and that's enough for him. His blue eyes meet the woman's and her hazel eyes along with pearly white teeth greet him sympathetically. Just the friendly composure of her makes him want to cry into her shoulder. but he can't. He has a daughter now and he must pull himself together and stay composed for her.

"May I?" Her hands are outstretched for his daughter and he may not be the best parent, but he knows not to give his daughter to some stranger. Yet, her warm appearance draws him in and honestly, if this woman can help his little girl, he's all for it. He reluctantly hands her over to the woman who is now sat next to him on the floor. Okay, so at least she isn't going to run with his child.

He watches as the woman wipes his babies tears with her hands that appear strong, yet soft. Her voice warms him as she lulls his girl asleep with a lullaby he's never heard before. And for the first time his ears are met with one of the best things in the world.

Silence.

He peers over at the mysterious woman who has now become his hero and his child rests safely in her arms sleeping soundly and he wants to thank this woman. Wants to praise, pay her. Hell, he wants to marry her. She has brought his baby peace and he doesn't think he will ever be able to repay her.

"How- How did you- huh?"

"My mom used to sing that song to me when I was fussy."

"I tried singing to her."

"Well, I doubt your a horrible singer, but the breast may help." She jokes and he cracks a smile for the first time in weeks. "First kid?"

"That obvious?" She laughs and it's some other worldly sound that brings his heart a warm sensation and he wants it to stay forever. Wants her to stay forever. "You have?"

"Oh, no. No kids. My profession doesn't exactly allow it."

He's intrigued. "Really? What do you do?"

"Homicide cop."

Wow. "Wow."

She laughs, and there goes that warm feeling again. "Yeah, it's not ideal for a family life, but it's where my heart is so." She shrugs and he's sure there's more to it than that, but she's shared enough, so he's fine. For now. "Well, I should probably go."

"No." He says enthused because they need her. He doesn't know her name. barely knows her life, but she can't abandon them now. They both need her, in every sense.

"It's late. I've got to get some sleep. I go up for evaluation to become a detective tomorrow." He sees her excitement and he doesn't want to keep her, but he actually does. So he comes up with a plan. It's probably horrible and weird and she's going to pepper spray him, but he has to try.

"Stay with me. At my place. Stay with us."

"Uh, I don't know you." She begins to back away and no he needs her. They still need her.

"No, wait." He takes a deep breath and he's going to have to be blunt. No punches pulled. "Look, I'm not going to force you to do anything. We just met and neither me nor her," he nods at his child who still rests in her arms "is your responsibility, but we have no one. No one to do what you just did and I have this little baby and I am way out of my league here. I'm in over my head, but I have no choice. This is the first time in two weeks that I've smiled. First time in three weeks that she's slept past five minutes and I can't," he's beginning to cry and no, he's not trying to guilt trip her, but it feels god to get this out. "I can't do that to her. If you won't do it for me, do it for her."

She looks into his eyes, then at his daughter and he's praying that the beautiful and helpless face of his child can coerce her. Her eyes are continually darting back and forth and he needs to continue his persuasion because she's breaking.

"I'm an author." He blurts getting her attention.

She smirks and he hopes that means good news. "I know who you are. I've read your books. My mom loved them." Something flickers across her eyes at the mention of her mom, and he'll get that story later, but not now. Right now, he needs to persuade, not push.

"Then you know full and well that I could pay you. I have connections, I could get you whatever you wanted. Just," he breathes again "just please don't leave." His voice breaks and he should probably be ashamed, but honestly, he'd grovel on get on his knees if that meant she'd stay.

"Well," she begins "I am looking for a place to stay. You got a spare room?"

"Sure!" He shouts then lowers his voice when his little girl squirms. "Sure, I've got a spare room. Right next to her nursery."

She mulls it over and he's begging silently as she considers. "Alright," he begins to celebrate when she speaks again "but just to be clear, I'm not doing this for you or the spare room," she glances down at his daughter adoringly "I'm ding it for her." And the warm feeling has now consumed because this woman who has helped his daughter actually cares for her. "I don't know how, but she's managed to make me fall in love with her in the half and hour I've known her."

He smiles because she's not the only one who's fallen in love in the last thirty minutes and he's overwhelmed with the feelings he seems to have for this person who he only just met. Love at first sight is no joke.

"So, considering it's 1 am, she should sleep until morning. If not, try singing the song to her again. I can come by tomorrow with some of my things and bring the rest after work."

"Okay, great. That's amazing. Sounds really amazing." She nods and helps him out of the store and into his vehicle. He drops her home and she gets out before he remembers something. "Wait! I don't know your name!" She turns back and gives him a smile and he'll never get sick of this warm feeling.

"It's Kate. Kate Beckett."

"Rick Castle."

"I know." And his savior disappears into her house.


	2. Moving Matters and Makeshift Mothers

Big.

That was her first impression of his loft.

The words that followed were more along the lines of 'gorgeous' & 'homey'. She couldn't believe that he'd buy such a large house for just him and his daughter, then again, the girl had to have a mother. She had to remember to ask him about that.

"Hey." His silky baritone voice drifted to her from what she now saw was the kitchen. There he sat. Richard Castle, her favorite mystery writer, sat there with an unshaven face and his daughter drinking a bottle. "The key worked."

He'd given her a key earlier in the morning when she brought her suitcase. The warm feeling inside of him returned when their finger tips brushed as he passed her the key. His little girl had been crying again as they made the exchange and she didn't hesitate to work her magic once again and his baby was happily cooing in seconds.

There's a part of him that wants to believe she'll magically fall for him as hard as she's fallen for his daughter, but he knows that isn't possible. For now, though, he's able to look past his affection for the safety & care of his daughter.

"She asleep?" Kate asks as she makes her way to her new psuedo family. She has yet to uncover the mystery behind the author, but she can't deny that his little girl has her heart. Gift wrapped and tied with a giant bow.

"Yeah!" He breathes excitedly because hs gaurdian angel wasn't there that time. He'd brought his girl peace all on his own and that in itself deserves a victory lap. "That 'rub the tummy, pat the back' thing? Perfection. She was out within seconds."

She nods and it's awkward, but so is this entire situation, so she won't apologize for it. There are so many thoughts, so many questions circling her head and she can't control herself right, which is why she doesn't freak when she blurts "where's her mother?"

She doesn't freak, but she will back track because his muscles tense and what the hell did she just do? "I'm sorry. I'm being intrusive. You don't have to-"

"Dead."

"Excuse me?" She squeaks out because she can not be hearing this right. Did he just say?

"Her mother's dead. She uh," he gives a pained chuckle and damn she's really stepped in it this time "she died in a plane crash a week after Alexis was born. I know what you're thinking. 'What the hell was a woman who just had a baby doing on a flight?'." She waits for a response because yes, that's exactly what she was thinking, word for word.

"What could I say? Meredith was an actor and," he takes a rueful look at his little bundle "she always put her career before her family."

Wow.

There's really nothing else to say. She assumed vacation, business trip, hell even rehab would have been better. Anything would have been better than this beautiful little girl being motherless. Trust her, she knows the feeling. Their damaged. So is she and yet she hasn't felt like this since her Mom. She feels like she belongs.

"You know, I look at her sometimes and I see her Mom. Despite what we told anyone, we split before Alexis was born. The pregnancy took quite a toll on us. Just before she left, I was so sure I'd never forget her and now," she doesn't know when she's lost control of her body, but her hand is entwined with his, giving him the strength she pretends to have, and it's too late to draw back.

He fuels himself on the warmth and stability of her hand. "And now I look at her and I don't know whether to be happy or sad. Angry or nostalgic."

"Happy." She blurts and her eyes don't meet with his, but she's telling him things, giving him his answer with her hand.

"Huh?"

"Happy." She takes her chance a steals the girl from him then sits beside him so they can both marvel at her. "You can not look at this angellic little face and be anything but happy." They catch each other's eyes and calling it a spark would be an insult. More like a lightning bolt, an high voltage jolt of something begging to break free.

But Alexis yawns. She yawns and Rick reaches out for her tiny hand. She fists her hand around his finger at the same time that she snuggles into Kate's chest. Once she's settled, her face relaxes peacefully and none of them can quite comprehend how, but they'll be fine.

Together.


End file.
